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Branding Elements You Shouldn't Ignore

Take a minute and think about the brands that just come to mind. Some that I always go back to are Target, Nike, Starbucks andPatagonia. They are brands that are easily recognizable and when seeing their marketing you know who it is instantly.

I also think back to the days when my kids weren't reading yet. But we'd be driving around and they'd be pointing out the restaurants we were driving by. They couldn't read but yet they could recognize brands like McDonald's, Wendy's, etc. This is all about branding!

So my question to you is, have you thought about your branding elements recently? Well – fear not, we'll walk you through the different elements to consider in your branding, and how to execute them.

Logo

I'm sure if you have an existing business, then you have an existing logo. Have you thought about the different ways you use your logo?

Website

Business cards/letterhead

Social media images

Merchandise

Favicon – the image that shows up on the tabs in your web browser

Have you thought about the different variations of your logo that you might need for all these uses?

For example, we have a horizontal and vertical version of our logo.

Formalize Colors

Do you have colors that you use consistently on your marketing materials? This is a great way for people to recognize your materials across different outlets.

If you don't have colors, there are some great tools you can use to pull colors from your logo!

You know we love Canva for design work, but did you know they have a color generator as well?

All you have to do is upload your logo and they'll automatically give you colors from your image. Amazing right!

Then, if you have a Canva account, you can take those colors and save them in your profile so you have them easily accessible for your marketing needs. Your website platform should also have a place you can save these for easy access.

Use the Same Fonts

Most brands have two different kinds of fonts. One that is used for print and one that's used digitally. Why? Well, you want to make sure the fonts you use online are easily readable by your customers and also the search engine robots.

So, your logo may have been designed and be a font that's custom for you, and that's great. If you're just starting out – having a font that works in both places can be easier, but not necessary.

The best place to start researching fonts is through Google Fonts. This gives you a ton of different options for your brand.

You'll want to pick around two different fonts. One that is for header usage and one that's a body font. We use Satisfy or Roboto for header fonts, and Source Sans Pro for our body font.

Once you've settled on fonts, then save them to your website for easy access, as well as Canva for your graphicwork.

Define your Language

How you speak to your customers is important. And this all starts with your ideal customer and your industry.

If you are in a regulated industry (healthcare, legal, finance, etc) then you definitely will have guidelines for what you can and cannot say. Please make sure you are aware of the legalize you need to be aware of.

If you're not in one of those industries, then think about how you want to talk to your customers.

I prefer to be conversational in my language and talk directly to you.

Your language should be consistent across all channels. This includes email marketing, social media, blog posts, podcasts, video, etc.

Build out your Graphics

Now that you have fonts, colors and language lined out, create core graphics for your media.

Then, all I have to do is go in and copy the graphic and reuse it over and over again.

Conclusion

Branding can seem overwhelming when you think about it. But by taking a little bit of time to pull it all together, you'll really set yourself up to create consistency in your company, make it easier to get work done.

I would love to see your branding elements! Share them with us on Facebook so we can see what you've created!